Quran and Hadith Studies
Content Analysis of Mahdist Traditions in the Hadith School of Qom before the Era of Sheikh Saduq
Document Type : Research Article
Author
Mahdism Flowology Department, Mahdism and Future Studies Research Institute, Islamic Science and Culture Research Institute, Qom, Iran.
Abstract
Abstract
The Hadith School of Qom, which is counted among the influential scientific centers in the Imami school, has always been at the center of attention of researchers and experts. However, the studies conducted regarding the Mahdavi teachings in this school face some shortcomings. The lack of a "school-centered" view and the absence of precise content analysis of Mahdavi narrations in this school are among these deficiencies. A precise examination of the collection of Mahdavi narrations in this school will help present a clear picture of the Mahdavi teachings of that era.
Therefore, the present writing, with a descriptive-analytical method and based on "content analysis," by extracting 358 narrations from the heritage of Qom's hadith scholars, has analyzed the Mahdavi teachings in this school before the period of Shaykh al-Saduq. Initially, according to existing sources, most transmissions in direct sources were done by the late Kulayni, specifically in the book "al-Hujjah"; however, in intermediary sources, Shaykh al-Saduq (ra) - due to his residence in that land - played an effective role in transmitting and preserving the Mahdavi heritage of the Qomis.
Based on the examined topics, from among the collection of narrations, nearly 468 analysis units (including sentences, phrases, and hadith themes) were extracted. These units were organized into four main axes: the personal characteristics of Imam al-Mahdi (aj), the period of occultation, the signs of reappearance, and the era of reappearance.
Among these, recognizing the lineage of Imam al-Mahdi, occultation, waiting (intizar), tawqi'at (written communications), and the behavioral study of Imam al-Mahdi during the era of reappearance had high frequency, which itself indicates the dominant discourse of the Hadith School of Qom. In contrast, the issue of the Imam's appearance, Mahdavi supplications, and signs of reappearance did not have much place among Qom's hadith scholars. The existence of some extraordinary reports indicates the text-oriented (nass-oriented) spirit of the Hadith School of Qom.
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